Method of and apparatus for forming cage-like terminal strip subassemblies



July 24, 1962 L.. J. MOELLER METHOD oF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAGE-LIKE TERMINAL STRIP sUBAssEMBLIEs 2 'sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug. 7, 1958 AMA A... k max l V INV EN TOR I Jaelef' ATT RNEY 3,045,712 IKE July 24, 1962 METHOD United States Ptent METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAGE-LIKE TERMINAL STRlP SUBASSEMBLIES Lowell J. Moeller, Indianapolis, Ind., assigner to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed Aug. 7, 1958, Ser. No.. 753,724 2 Claims. (Cl. 140-71) This invention relates to methods of and `apparatus lfor forming cage-like terminal strip lsubassem'blies, and more particularly, -although not exclusively, to methods of and apparatus for forming cage-like terminal strip -subassemblies including a plurality fof apertured plates having wire terminals in the apertures thereof.

The subassemblies may be utilized in the formation of cast resin terminal strip assemblies :such as are disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 453,526 led on September 1, 1954, now Patent 2,885,651, which are utilized in the communications industry to facilitate the wiring of relay racks or other telephone apparatus requiring a multiplicity of circuit connections.

A completed cage-like subassembly includes a pair of generally rectangular, substantially identical, end or retaining plates formed from a stili plastic material such as polystyrene or the like. Each of the end plates are provided with axially spaced apertures. The apertures are square in cross section and are designed to receive a plurality of elongated rod-like terminals made up of hard drawn brass wire or the like which is capable of being twisted axially and retaining a twisted set.

In the formation of the cage-like subassembly the apertured plastic retaining plates are held adjacent to each other, or together in face to face contact while the pretwisted terminals are inserted into the apertures therein. The plastic retaining plates are then moved apa-rt a predetermined distance and become locked to the wire terminals by resultant torques set up as a result of the pretwist of adjacent terminals in opposite directions.

Previously it had been a standard practice to assemble pretwisted, precut terminals individually by hand through retaining plates which were held together in the proper position and then separating the plates to lock the subassembly together. The high cost of labor required to form the subassemblies in that manner made it desirable to develop more eliicient methods of forming and assembling the Various parts of the subassembly and to develop automatic loading machines in which each individual subassembly could be assembled automatically through the cooperative arrangement of various elements of the automatic machine.

Accordingly, it is an object lof the present invention to provide new and improved methods of and apparatus for forming cage-like terminal strip subassemblies.

It is another object of the present invention to provide methods of and automatic apparatus for twisting, assembling and cutting wires or terminals lof the subassembly automatically.

It is a lfurther object of the present invention to provide new and improved apparatus for feeding and Isimultaneously twisting a group of wires being fed into apertured retaining plates of a cage-like subassembly and severing all of the wires of the group simultaneously.

A method embodying certain aspects of the present invention may include the steps of twisting a number of the wires in a group of wires about the longitudinal axes thereof in one direction and the remaining wires of the group in the opposite direction while simultaneously feeding them in a substantially parallel spaced relationship along their longitudinal axes, inserting all of the wires in each group into apertures in end or retaining plates arice ranged in a predetermined spaced relationship, and severing all of the wires in a group simultaneously.

Apparatus embodying certain aspects of the present invention may include means for twisting a number of wires in a group of wires about the longitudinal axes thereof in one direction and the remaining wires of the group in the opposite direction, means for feeding the wires in substantially parallel relationship along their longitudinal aXes and feeding the leading ends thereof through apertures in end or retaining plates arranged in predetermined spaced relationship and means for severing all of the wires of the group simultaneously.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a fragmentary, fractional, `side elevational View of a twisting and assembling apparatus embodying certain aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is Ia fragmentary, fractional, side elevational view of the remaining portion of the apparatus embodying certain aspects of the present invention illustrated in FIG. lA, which when combined with FIG. l1A forms a fragmentary, elevational view of the complete apparatus;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the portion o-f the apparatus of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, top plan view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. lA as taken along line 4-4 thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a terminal strip subassembly produced by the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. lA and 1B with the cast resin portion of the assembly indicated in phantom lines.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 5, there is shown a terminal strip subassembly, designated generally by the numeral 11. The subassembly 11 includes two spaced plastic end plates 12 and 13 which are provided with a plurality of apertures 14 and 16 arranged in live rows with each row containing eight apertures. The end plates 12 and 13 may be of slightly different dimensions but the positions of the apertures 14-14 in the end plate 12 correspond exactly with the positions of the apertures 16-16 in the other end plate 13. VIn the completed subassembly 11 the end plates 12 and 13 are spaced apart a predetermined distance as illustrated in FIG. 5.

The apertures 14 and 16 in the end plates 12 and 13 are designed for receiving the leading ends of a plurality of rod-like elongated supply wires 17-17 (FIGS. 1A, 2 and 4). The supply wires 17-17 are cut to predetermined lengths after the leading ends thereof have been inserted into the aligned apertures 14 and 16 of the end plat-es 12 and 13 and pushed a predetermined distance therethrough to form rows of terminals 21, 22, 23, 24, and 26 of definite lengths. The terminals 2.1-2.1, 2222, 23--23, 2'4-24 or 26-26 in each row are normally of equal lengths but the lengths of the terminals in different rows are of different lengths. Normally the ends of all of the terminals 21-21, 22-22, 231-23, 24-24 and 26--26 on one end of the terminal strip subassembly 11 lay in a single plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axes thereof, but the other ends of the terminals in various rows are staggered. During the assembly of the terminals 21-21, 22-22, 23423, 24-24 and 26-26 in the end plates 12 and 13 to form the subassembly 11, the terminals are provided with predetermined -axial pretwist sets. One half of lthe terminals 21-21, 22-22, 23--23, 24-24, and 26-26 in each row are given a clockwise axial pretwist set and the other half a counterclockwise set of the same magnitude, with adjacent terminals having opposite hand twists.

In the assembly of the end plates 12 and 13 and the terminals to form the subassembly 11, the end plates 12 and 13 are brought together in close proximity with the corresponding apertures 14 and 16 in precise mating relationship. The leading ends of the row of eight supply wires 17-17 are fed simultaneously through the corresponding aligned -apertures 14-14 and 16-16 a predetermined distance. The supply wires 17-17 are then severed by suitable cutting means to form one row of terminals 21-21 of predetermined lengths. The leading ends of the row of eight supply wires 17-17 are indexed successively to adjacent rows of apertures 14-14 and 16-16 and the above described operation is then repeated to form second, third, fourth and fifth rows of terminals 22-22, 23-23, 24-24 and 26-26, respectively.

The supply wires 17-17 are given predetermined axial pretwist sets and straightened in a subsequent portion of the path of travel of the supply wires 17-17 as they a-re fed longitudinally through the apertures 14-1'4 and 16-16 in spaced parallel relationship so that each of the wires 17-17 is substantially straight and adjacent wires have opposite hand, axial, pretwist sets in them before they are inserted into the associated `aligned apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the end plates 1'2 and 13.

When all of the forty terminals 21-21, 22-22, 23--23, 24-24 and 26-26 are in the aligned apertures 14-'14 and 16-16 the end plates 12 and `13 are moved apart a predetermined distance to locate the terminals fixedly within the associated apertures 14-14 and 16-16 of the end plates 12 and 13 to form the finished subassembly 11.

Referring now to the combined FIGS. 1A and 1B, there is shown a general assembly of an apparatus, designated generally by the numeral 31, for performing the above described steps of manufacturing the subassembly 11 automatically. The apparatus 31 includes a plurality of individual supply reels 27-27 from which indefinite lengths of eight supply wires 17-17 are fed intermittently. The supply ywires 17-17 are fed around a pair of multiple grooved sheaves 28-28 to change the direction of travel of the wires 17-17 and direct them through pretwisting roll units, designated generally by the numerals 32-32, horizontal straightening rolls, designated generally by the numerals 33-33, and vertical straightening rolls, designated generally by the numerals 34-34, by means of an appropriate multiple wire hitch-feed mechanism, designated generally by the numeral 36.

As illustrated in FGS. 1A, 3 and 4, each of the twisting roll units 32 consists of a pair of spaced pairs of grooved rolls 38-38. A groove 37 on each of the rolls 33-38 cooperates with the other roll 38 of the pair to define a space 39 substantially equivalent to the cross sectional dimensions of each of the wires 17-17. Each of the wires 17-17 is placed in the first pair of the twisting rolls 38 38 in one orientation and in the other cooperating pair of rolls 38-38 of the unit 32 in an orientation of 180 degrees in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction as desired, to place a pretwist set in the wire 17 with the length of twist equivalent to approximately twice the distance between the axis of rotation of the pairs of rolls 38-38.

The multiple wire hitch-feed mechanism 36 includes two portions, a stationary clamping unit 41 and a movable portion 42. The stationary portion 41 is designed to grip the wires 1717 and prevent movement thereof to the left as viewed in FIG. 1B, and to release the wires 17-17 and permit movement thereof in the opposite direction or to the right as viewed in FIG. 1B. In this manner the clamping unit 41 permits unidirectional movement of the wires 17--17 along the longitudinal axes thereof. The movable clamping unit 42 of the hitch-feed mechanism 36 is designed to grip the Iwires 17--17, extending therethrough in a generally parallel spaced relationship, when it is moved in one direction, to the right as viewed in FIG. 1B, and to release the wires 17--17 when moved in the other direction, to the left as viewed in FIG. lB. In this manner the two clamping units 41 and 42 of the hitch-feed mechanism 36 cooperate to feed .the leading ends of all of the eight supply wires 17--17 simultaneously intermittently into and through the corresponding aligned apertures 14-14 and 16-16 formed in the plastic end plates 12 and 13.

The eight supply wires 17-17 extend from the vertical straightening rolls 34 to the stationary portion 41 of the feed mechanism 36 through eight converging tubular guides 43. The movable clamping unit 42 is designed to grip the wires 17-17 intermittently and feed them simultaneously through eight telescoping guide tubes 44 attached flexibly to a vertical movable apertured guide member 46 forming part of a wire locating and shearing mechanism, designated genearlly by the numeral `47, which may be similar to that disclosed in greater detail and claimed in application Serial No. 753,683 filed on August 7, 1958 in the name of E. D. Hanson, now Patent 3,004,- 565. The wires 17-17 are fed through the apertured guide member 46 and into the associated apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the end plates 12 and 13 which are held closely together and in matching alignment by relatively movable end plate holders 48 and 49 which form part of a mechanism, `designated generally by the numeral 51, for holding and separating the plastic end plates 12 and 13. The mechanism 51 for holding and separating the end plates may be similar to that disclosed in greater detail in Iapplication Serial No. 753,795 filed on August 7, 1958 in the name of E. D. Hanson, now Patent 3,004,334.

The guide member 46 is mounted slidably vertically and is selectively indexable for positioning the leading ends of the supply wires 17--17 to successive vertical positions adjacent to each of the five horizontal rows of apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the plastic end plates 12 and 13 by appropriate means, such as a multi-lobed cam (not shown).

After a row of the wires 17-17 have been ffed through the corresponding apertures 14--14 and 16-16 in the end plates 12 and 13 a desired predetermined distance the wires 17-,17 are severed at predetermined points by the shearing mechanism 47 to form new leading ends on the supply wires 17-17. The new leading ends on the supply wires 17-17 are indexed vertically upwardly a short distance to a position adjacent to another horizontal row of apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the end plates 12 and 13 by the indexing of the guide member 46 vertically.

Operation Prior to commencing the operating cycle the operator pulls the supply wires 17-17 from the supply reels 27, places each wire 17 in a groove in one of the grooved sheaves 28-28 and through the space 39 formed by one of the first pair of twisting rolls 3838, twists each of the wires 17--17 axially 180 degrees in the desired direction, and inserts each of the twisted Wires 17-17 into the space 39 between the appropriate second pair of rolls 38-38. Each of the wires 17-17 is then passed through a set of the horizontal straightening rolls 33, through the cooperating set of vertical straightening rolls 34, through one of the converging tubes 43-43, through the stationary clamping unit 41 of the feeding mechanism 36, through the movable clamping unit 42, through one of the telescoping guide tubes 44-44 and into the guide member 46.

At the beginning of the operating cycle in which a complete terminal strip subassembly 11 is formed, the guide member 46 of the wire locating and shearing mechanism 47 is at a predetermined position wherein the leading ends of the eight supply wires 17--17 are aligned precisely with corresponding apertures in the lowermost horizontal row of apertures 14-14 and 16-16. At this time in the cycle the plastic end plates 12 and 13 are held by the end plate holders 48 and 49 in close mating relationship and so aligned that as the guide member 46 is indexed the leading ends of the wires will be aligned with successive rows of apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the end plates 112 and 13.

The movable clamping unit 42 of the multiple wire feeding mechanism 36, pulls the supply wires 17-17 from the reels 27-27 through the twisting rolls 32-32 and straightening rolls 33--33 and 34-34 to give the supply wires 17-17 predetermined alternate, axial pretwist sets and thereafter straightens them as the supply wires 17-17 are lfed longitudinally to supply substantially -straight wires having the proper axial pretwist set prior to their insertion through the aligned apertures 14--14 and 16-16 in the plate.

Normally when a member is twisted beyond its elastic limit it will tend to return to a position representing approximately the amount by which it was twisted beyond its elastic limit. Accordingly, it should lbe noted that the remaining twist in the supply wires 17-17 lbeing inserted into the end plates 12 and 13 is smaller in magnitude than the twist that existed in those portions of the wires `17-17 when they were passing through the twisting roll units 32.

The movable clamping unit 42, of the feeding mechanism 36, which is the only means for moving the wires 17-17 longitudinally through the apparatus, grips the wires 17-17 and advances the leading ends thereof simultaneously a predetermined distance into and through the apertures of the lowermost row of apertures 14-14 and 16--16 in the end plates 12 and 13. Immediately thereafter the eight supply wires 17-17 are severed by the shearing mechanism 47 to -form the lowermost row of terminals 21-21 in the apertures 14--14 and 16-16 of the plastic end plates 12 and 13 and the create new leading ends on the supply wires 17-17.

The guide member 46 is then .indexed upwardly so that the new leading ends of the supply wires 1'7-17 therein are aligned with corresponding apertures 14-14 and 16-16 in the adjacent row of apertures in the plates 12 and 13. The feed mechanism 36 is then operated to advance the leading ends of the eight supply wires 17-17 a predetermined distance through the apertures 14-14 and 16-16 forming the second horizontal row of apertures in the end plates 12 and 13. The wires 17-17 are then severed to form the second row of eight terminals 22-22 in the row of apertures adjacent to the lowermost row in the retaining plates 12 and 13. The feeding, severing, and indexing operation continues in a manner similar to that described above until all five of the rows of apertures 14--14 and 16-16 have received predetermined lengths of the supply wires 17-17 which are out to the proper lengths to form the rows of terminals 23-23, 24-24 and 26--26- Thereafter the end plate holding and separating mechanism 51 is operated to separate the plastic end plates 12 and 13 a predetermined distance.

As the plastic end plates 12 and 13 are moved apart the resultant torque set up in the terminals 21-21, 22-22, 23-23, 24-24 and 26--26 :by virtue of the alternate pretwist sets imparted to the supply wires 17-17 by the twisting units 32-32 are locked firmly in place in their associated apertures 14--14 and 16-1 to form a self-containing terminal strip subassembly 11.

It is to -be understood that the above-described arrangements are simply illustrative of the principles of the invention. Other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art which embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of forming cage-like terminal strip subassem-blies including a plurality of spaced, apertured, retaining plates having wire terminals in the apertures thereof, which comprises supplying =a group of untwisted noncircular wires of indeiinite lengths, holding a plurality of apertured retaining plates in close proximity to each other with the apertures therein in aligned relationship to facilitate longitudinal insertion of the group of noncircular Wires into complementary 'apertures in the retaining plates, feeding a row of the supply Wires simultaneously and intermittently longitudinally through successive rows of the apertures in the retaining plates to form successive groups of wire terminals while simultaneously twisting `a number of the wires of the group individually about the longitudinal axes thereof in one direction and the other wires of the group individually in the opposite direction and straightening the twisted wires while maintaining the twist therein, indexing the ends of the row of supply Wires transversely of the axes of the supply wires between successive feeding operations, guiding the noncircular supply Wires having opposite-hand twists into successive rows ofthe apertures in the retaining plates all having the same angular orientation While langularly orienting the ends of the twisted supply wires with the apertures of the end plates, severing yall wires of the row of supply wires simultaneously and rows successively to form successive rows of terminals in t-he retaining plates, successively feeding the retaining plates into positions to receive the supply wires and removing the retaining plates -with the terminals therein, moving the retaining plates along the longitudinal axes of the groups of terminals from close proximity with each other to a predetermined spacing to lock the plates and terminals together by resultant torques set up as a result of the twisting of the wires in opposite directions to form a subassembly, and maintaining the terminals at predetermined longitudinal positions relative to one 4another during the separation of the retaining plates.

2. Apparatus for forming cage-like terminal strip subassemblies including a plurality of spaced, apertured, retaining plates having wire terminals in the apertures thereof, which comprises means for supplying a group of untwisted noncircular wires of indefinite lengths, means for twisting a number of the wires of the group individually about the longitudinal axes thereof in one direction and for twisting other wires of the group individually inthe opposite direction, means for straightening the twisted wires while maintaining the twist therein, means for holding a plurality of apertured retaining plates in close proximity to each other with the apertures thereof in aligned relationship with each other to yfacilitate longitudinal insertion of the group of pretwisted noncircula-r wires into complementary apertures in the retaining plates, means for pulling the wires from the supplies thereof through the twisting means and the straightening means and for simultaneously feeding `a row of the supply wires simultaneously and intermittently longitudinally through successive rows of the apertures in the retaining plates to form successive groups of wire terminals, wire-guiding means having -a row of noncircular wire-guiding apertures therein and being mounted for indexing movement transversely of the axes of the supply wires, some of the noncircular wire-guiding apertures in the row of apertures being oriented angularly with respect to others for guiding the noncircular supply wires having opposite-hand twists into successive rows of the apertures in the retaining plates all having the same angular orientation and -f-or aligning and -angularly orienting the ends of the twisted supply wires with the apertures of the end plates, means for severing all wires of the row of supply wires simultaneously and rows successively to form successive 'rows of terminals in the retaining plates, means for successively feeding the retaining plates into the retaining plate holders and for ejecting the retaining plates with the terminals therein from the retaining-plate holders, means .for moving the retaining-plate 4holders containing the apertured retaining plates along the longitudinal axes of the groups of terminals from a position wherein the retaining plates are held in close proximity with each other to a predetermined spacing to lock the plates and terminals together by resultant torques set up lby the wires twisted in opposite directions to form a finished cage-like terminal strip subassembly, means for maintaining the terminals at predetermined longitudinal positions relative to one 4another during the separation of the retaining plates, and means for operating the wire pulling and feeding means, wireguiding means, the retaining-plate holders, the retainingplate inserting and ejecting means, the Wire-severing means and the retaining-plate moving means in timed relation- `ship with respect to each other `for automatically making successive subassemblies.

CI O

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith Oct. 25, 1921 Lang Apr. 8, 1930 Hawksley Mar. 10, 1936 Ruttkay June 28, 1955 Henry Nov. 27, 1956 Ingalls et al. July 30, 1957 Moeller May 5, 1959 

